Behnken attended Pattonville High School in Maryland Heights, Missouri, and went on to earn bachelor of science degrees in mechanical engineering and physics from Washington University in St. Louis in 1992. He then attended the California Institute of Technology, where he earned a master of science degree in mechanical engineering in 1993 and a PhD in 1997. While at Caltech he shared a doctoral advisor, Christopher E. Brennen, with another future NASA astronaut, Garrett Reisman. Behnken's graduate thesis research was in the area of nonlinear control applied to stabilizing rotating stall and surge in axial-flow compressors. The research included nonlinear analysis, real-time software implementation development, and extensive hardware construction. During his first two years of graduate study, Behnken developed and implemented real-time control algorithms and hardware for flexible robotic manipulators.
Air Force career
Before entering graduate school, Behnken was an Air Force ROTC student at Washington University in St. Louis, and after graduate school was assigned to enter Air Force active duty at Eglin AFB, Florida. While at Eglin, he worked as a technical manager and developmental engineer for new munitions systems. Behnken was next assigned to attend the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot SchoolFlight Test Engineer's course at Edwards AFB, California. After graduating, he was assigned to the F-22 Combined Test Force and remained at Edwards. While assigned to the F-22 program, Behnken was the lead flight test engineer for Raptor 4004 and a special projects test director. These responsibilities included flight test sortie planning, control room configuration development, and test conduct. Behnken also flew in both the F-15 and F-16aircraft in support of the F-22 flight test program.
NASA career
Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in July 2000, Behnken reported for training in August 2000. Following the completion of 18 months of training and evaluation, he was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Shuttle Operations Branch supporting launch and landing operations at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. In September 2006, Behnken served as an aquanaut during the mission aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory, living and working underwater for seven days.
Behnken flew to space for the second time as a Mission Specialist on STS-130, which launched at 04:14 EST 8 February 2010. This mission delivered the Tranquility module and Cupola to the International Space Station. Behnken again took part in three spacewalks during this mission.
Chief of the Astronaut Office
In July 2012, Behnken was named Chief of the Astronaut Office, succeeding Peggy Whitson. He held the job until July 2015, when he was succeeded by Chris Cassidy, after being selected as one of four astronauts training to fly spacecraft contracted under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
In August 2018, Behnken was assigned to the first test flight SpX-DM2 of the SpaceX Crew Dragon. It successfully launched on May 30, 2020. The spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station on May 31, 2020. Behnken and Doug Hurley joined the ISS Expedition 63 crew, which consists of NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonautsIvan Vagner and Anatoli Ivanishin.
Personal life
Behnken is married to fellow astronaut K. Megan McArthur and they have one son. Behnken holds an amateur radio license with the call sign KE5GGX.
